Garlic Dill Pickles

So, I'll let you in on a little secret my friends... I love pickles. Salty, and tangy, and crunchy Oh My!

We joined a CSA this year for fresh vegetables and I have gotten pickling cucumbers twice now. And both times I have turned them into pickles. The first batch tasted great but were entirely too salty. This is why we experiment! The second batch has a slightly different flavor, but I think they are delicious. And have a little bite to them, which I love in a pickle.

Quick & Spicy Garlic Dill Pickles

Ingredients

1-1/2 cups water
1-1/2 Tbl kosher salt
3 Tbl apple cider vinegar {can also use white vinegar}
2 tsp black peppercorns
Optional: 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, mustard seeds, celery seeds
1 large bunch of fresh dill
~6 Garlic cloves, smashed {I love a good, garlicky pickle, so I used about 3 large cloves per jar}
3-1/2 cups pickling cucumbers*

Instructions:

1. Combine water, salt, vinegar, peppercorns and the optional ingredients in a small saucepan. Heat to a boil, turn down and simmer for a few minutes until the salt dissolves completely. Set aside to cool a bit. 
2. Meanwhile, cut your cukes. I actually like a combination of rounds and spears, because I find they fit into the jars a bit better when there are different shaped pieces to work with. Whatever tickles your fancy. 
3. Using pint sized mason jars, you will begin by placing a big ol' handful of fresh dill and one or two smashed garlic cloves. 
4. Fill your jars with cucumber pieces, making sure that you leave at least an inch at the top to ensure proper coverage when you add the brine. 
5. Add more dill and another clove of garlic. Here, you can also add a few more spices but because we cooked the flavor into the brine, it is not necessary. 
6. Fill your jars with the brine, making sure to cover the cucumbers completely. I recommend not filling to the brim, also, due to the cucumbers giving off a bit of liquid during the process of turning into pickles. 
7. I, personally, let it finish cooling before I top and put in the fridge, but you can do this a few different ways. You can screw on the lids now, and throw 'em right into the refrigerator. You can leave them on the counter for 2-3 days before putting away. Either way, though: you should wait at least 1 week before tasting. 

Notes

• This recipe makes 2 jars of pickles but you can easily double, triple, quadruple it! 
• You can use regular cucumbers for this recipe also, the most important thing is for them to be fresh! TIP: you know pickling cucumbers were picked at the right time when they are super bumpy.
• Personally, I don't think dried dill would substitute, but if you want to try let me know if it works!
• I love garlic, but you could cut back to 1 1/2-2 cloves per jar
• I also love spicy pickles. I used more red pepper flakes than noted above and the brine got super spicy. From here, I actually went one step further and strained the red pepper flakes out before adding the brine to the jars. The pickles definitely came out with a kick from the heat in the brine. I don't know that they would have tasted good if I didn't do that. So, definitely don't go overboard with the red pepper flakes unless you feel like removing them from the brine which was a pain in the you know what. 

Thanksgiving Menu & Grandma Martone's Stuffing

So I am psyched about my Thanksgiving menu and considering there's only 4 of us eating, you'd think i was cooking for an army with the amount of food we will have. Hey, whatever- aren't the leftovers kind of the best part??

I have searched the interwebs high and low, scoured Pinterest, and brought out the big guns from my recipe book to come up with the perfect menu:

I got a brined turkey from WF with which I will roast with apples and onions, oh my! 

{https://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/roast-turkey-apples-and-onions}

I will make a beautiful gravy using Saint Martha's tips 

{http://www.marthastewart.com/863969/pan-gravy?amp}

Scalloped Potatoes will replace the traditional mashed, because no T family Thx meal is complete without creamy mashed turnips 

{http://www.plainchicken.com/2016/08/cheesy-scalloped-potatoes.html}

Peas are a must at MY Thx table, along with green bean casserole {which is another family's passed down recipe that I have obtained and will keep secret -for now- to protect the unnamed}

And for dessert, my husbands infamous Hazelnut Pumpkin Pie ala Sunny Anderson 

{http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/sunny-anderson/hazelnut-pumpkin-pie-recipe.html}

And let us not forget the stuffing. Oh, the stuffing... a T family staple.

Grandma Martone's Stuffing

{slightly modified by a newer generation}

Ingredients

1 12oz bag of Arnold's seasoned bread cubes
1 pkg Jones pork sausage roll
3 stalks celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 stick unsalted butter
1.5 cups water
0.5 cups chicken stock

Instructions

1. In a medium fry pan, cook sausage, onion and celery until sausage is cooked through, breaking up sausage meat as it cooks.
2. Meanwhile, cook stick of butter in 1.5 cups of water on stove until boiling.
3. Combine sausage and vegg mixture with bag of bread cubes in the bowl of a 7-quart crock pot. Mix well.
4. Add liquid and mix well.
5. Pour chicken stock over top of mixture.
6. Cover and cook on high for up to 3-4 hours.
7. Check every 1 hour or so and stir; adjust liquid if needed.

Notes

• Ok- so full disclosure, the handed down recipe my MIL makes uses 1 stalk celery, 0.5 onion, and no stock. It is also traditionally cooked in the bird. 
• I researched how to cook stuffing in the crock pot A LOT and most recipes I read said to cook on high for 3-4 hours using 2 cups liquid. A few said you can also cook on low for 7-8 hours but the majority suggested high heat. I added the stock to make 2 cups total liquid.
• The above is exactly what I did during my trial run and the stuffing was perfect at 2 hours, 40 minutes.
• The stuffing surprisingly binds together pretty well. I didn't need to add any extra liquid at all- you don't want it to be too wet.

My Weekly Menu {with recipe links!}

We have already established that I heart fall. We have already established that I love my new workout routine. And I think it has been relatively clearly established that I am in a constant state of battle with myself re: healthy eating. I try. I really do. And when I have the time {and energy} to cook on Sundays, its NBD. I can plan ahead, get tt to go to the store and get everything I need, and then get to cooking. This week is one of those weeks. I need more of those weeks as we head into the holidays so that I can stay ahead of this whole "weight gain during the holidays" nonsense. 

Speaking of the holidays. I am hosting Thanksgiving for my in laws this year. EEK. I have never made a turkey. Weird, I know. So the next few weeks will be spent A- completely freaking out. And B- scouring Pinterest for ideas. It will be only the 4 of us, so I can't go super overboard with too much food... although that would leave copious amounts of leftovers so I may rethink that train of thought. Womp.

People of the world wide interweb, tell me your Thanksgiving turkey secrets!! I beg of you. And any of your favorite side items too for that matter. New recipes, family recipes, secret recipes {I promise I won't tell!} I will not go crazy trying to stay healthy, this is the only real time you can get away with it after all, but I do have to watch some of the carb/white flour heavy items as my FIL can't do them. So far the items on the list are turkey {obv} and the request has been made for turnips. GROSS but I will do it for tt. And speaking of tt, I'm pretty sure that hunk of a husband of mine will make either a pumpkin pie or a pumpkin cheesecake that are his specialties, so I am not worried about dessert. Say it, I know you want to. I have a husband who's specialty is pumpkin dessert? No he doesn't have a brother. 

I am excited for my menu this week. There are a few new things and a few oldies but goodies. I like to find recipes that dont take a ton of time to make because on nights I go to the gym, I dont get home until at least 7:30pm. I have spent most of today meal prepping for breakfast and lunch, but dinners below are easy to make and relatively quick. I will point out that most weeks I flag anything I am going to make/recreate on Pinterest. I have a board that I update each week and take items on and off of it. Find me! 
{I will also point out that a goal of mine as I continue this blog is to start learning how to take pics of my food. This blog is super boring without pictures. womp womp. Food pics give food blogs LIFE. If I make it another 6 months, I think I will set up a little staging area in the new house. There will be so much natural light in the house so I am hoping that helps give me some inspiration.}

Upon waking:
I have finally started back on my ACV kick because of the crazy health benefits it brings and how much better I feel personally when I drink it daily. I am trying some new recipes besides just drinking it in water and struggling through it. I am probably drinking slightly less ACV but adding other healthy ingredients to my morning "tonic" 

I came up with this combo last week and it worked well: Honey simple syrup + ACV + Cranberry juice + Fresh Lemon Juice >> mix in a mason jar and adjust amounts to your taste. ACV can be pretty potent so if you;re new to this, I suggest using more simple syrup because the acid in the juices do not cut the ACV at all. Add cold water to fill the jar and chill in fridge. 
This week when I was making my simple syrup, I added cinnamon and turmeric to the heated honey and water to hopefully dissolve it. It doesn't appear to have dissolved completely, but I made the same tonic as above for this week. 

Breakfast: 
Pumpkin Cheesecake Oatmeal

• The original recipe can be found here from Hungry Girl. I have never made this before but I am PSYCHED to eat it. As I mixed together the yogurt, pumpkin, and spices, I realized I was mixing up a big fat bowl of comfort. I am leaving OUT the raisins and definitely added a leetle extra pumpkin and a leetle extra pumpkin pie spice and a leetle extra vanilla and sweetener because I just couldn't help myself. I somehow refrained from sticking my face in the bowl. Now, aforementioned big fat bowl of comfort is chilling side by side with my big fat bowl of oatmeal. Whaaaa. Can hardly wait for tomorrow AM. I am probably going to be looking for a crunch though. Ooh I have slivered almonds in the pantry. Maybe I will top 'em up with that instead of raisins. Hmm.. stay tuned on that one!

Lunch:
Tuna cakes on a bed of arugula, cilantro and topped with avocado slices, and a little EVOO, red pepper flakes and lemon juice dressing

• The original recipe can be found here from Nom Nom Paleo. I have made them a bunch of times following the recipe and they are so yummy. This time I miscalculated what I had vs needed at the grocery store, so I improvised slightly, using canned pumpkin purée instead of sweet potato, and I doubled the tuna amount and used 3 eggs. They just came out of the oven and appear to be ok- fingers crossed they taste good still!! These little guys sound really weird, I totally hear what you're thinking, but have I ever steered you wrong? Not to my knowledge anyway. I promise that they are an easy, tasty, protein-packed snack or meal. I usually take two of them for lunch and its just right with a little salad or a veg. \

Snack:
Apples from the farm {Macoun and Macintosh, depending on my mood} with Teddys Old Fashioned All Natural Creamy peanut butter. Um- YUM. 

Dinner:
Sunday- a minor variation of my Cheater Chili 
Monday- Stuffed Sweet Potatoes
Tuesday- Crock pot Short Ribs with Quinoa and Blistered Tomatoes
Wednesday- leftover Chili
Thursday- leftover Short Ribs {if there are any!} 
Friday- probably leftover Chili if it has made it that far 
Saturday- tt is cooking a special little surprise bday meal for me. Love this man.


Like for real. I dont think it gets much better than this. Tell me your feelings on the above. Likes, dislikes, and most importantly your suggestions.. lets get some conversating started in the comments below! 

XO 

Spaghetti Squash with Pumpkin Marinara

In finding myself back on the food blogging wagon, I pulled out the big fat recipe book I keep on my kitchen counter, that has been collecting dust now that I have my iPad. Whoops. As I opened up the cover, the first sheet of paper I saw was a recipe I have never made, but thought it would be totes approps to use as my first recipe back, because it is Fall in New England which means #allpumpkinerrythang 

Ha. I'm so basic.

¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨¨°º©©º°¨¨¨

Spaghetti Squash with Pumpkin Marinara

Recipe origin: no idea, I have it printed and tucked away. Thanks to whoever came up with it though!

Ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash

1 lb grass-fed ground beef

1-6 oz can of tomato paste + 1 1/2 cans water

4 Tbl cooked pumpkin {canned is acceptable}

3-4 pieces of crispy prosciutto, crumbled

1 large onion, chopped

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp each of: cumin, chili powder, smoked paprika, cayenne, cinnamon

1 dash nutmeg

S&P to taste

2-3 Tbl ghee or coconut oil, separated

Fresh basil, shredded 

Instructions

1. Set oven to broil. Broil prosciutto for 4-5 minutes on a lined baking sheet until crispy. Set aside to cool and then crumble.
2. Cook Spaghetti Squash {can bake, or I like to remember that I'm not actually a cave woman and cook mine in the microwave- quarter it, scoop seeds, throw in a Pyrex with about a half inch of water and cover with Saran Wrap. Nuke on high for 11-13 mins depending on the size of your squash} 
3. While squash is cooking, heat oil in a pan and add onion and garlic. Cook a few minutes until onions are translucent and garlic is fragrant. 
4. Add ground beef to the pan and brown. Add tomato paste + water, pumpkin, and spices. Mix well to combine, cook meat sauce until it thickens. 
5. When squash is cooked, let cool slightly, then shred with a fork into a medium bowl. Toss with melted ghee/oil. 
6. Add squash noodles to serving plates and top with meat sauce, crispy prosciutto, and shredded basil leaves. 

Red-wine Braised Short Ribs {Crock pot}

I had never made short ribs until I tried these. It has been a little bit of a running joke in the T household... Everyone has said that the short ribs we had served at our wedding were the best short ribs ever. While neither tt or I got to try them {not even at the tasting!}, I 100% believed the reviews because the food that is put out at FG is hands-down delish. 

I wanted to make short ribs for tt as a "special dinner" when he returned home from his trip to Deutschland a few weeks back. Slow braised, served with cauliflower mash, and roasted asparagus... sounded like a meal made for a king's return to his castle. {I actually think I made garlicky kale with it too, since I can barely get through a meal without garlicky kale.}

Realizing that the actual braising process takes hours, I thought that the crock was really the only way to go, especially since he got back on a Friday. I worked a long @$$ day on the Thursday before, but knew I just had to get to the grocery store anyway. So, I headed to Stew's to get my ingredients. I loaded up my basket, and even bought flowers to put out. 

Red-wine Braised Short Ribs {in the crock pot!}

Original non-crock recipe: soletshangout.com 

Ingredients

2+/- lbs boneless beef short ribs

1 tbs coconut oil 

S+P and garlic powder to taste

1 yellow onion, diced

3 carrots, diced

4 celery stalks, diced

1 Tbl minced garlic

1/2 bottle of red wine {I used a Cab}

1.5 cups beef broth

8 oz marinara sauce

Instructions

1. Rinse off short ribs and pat dry. Liberally salt, pepper and garlic each side of your short ribs.
2. In a large soup pot heat oil over medium heat. Brown short ribs on all sides until the outsides have a seared crust to them. Set aside.
3. Add diced veggies and garlic to pot cook briefly in the oil/fat left over from searing ribs. Allow the veggies to begin to soften. 
4. Transfer veggies to crock pot and add your short ribs along with the wine, tomato sauce, and beef broth. 
5. Cook in crock pot on low for 8 hours. 

Notes

• I would also add in a bit of tomato paste the next time to add to the depth of flavor. The original recipe called for regular canned tomato sauce. I used marinara instead, and I don't think it has quite the right flavor. 
• These are so so good- so tender and delicious. I want to eat them every day for the rest of my life.#thebombdotcom 

Paleo Zuppa Toscana

Yesterday, I found myself in a crazy, home alone and bored, PMS has taken over moment. You know how that goes. I absolutely had to have chocolate. Like, had to have it. 

Now, due to this home alone and bored situation, I am embarrassed to also admit that I hadn't showered...since Friday... so leaving the house was not an option. I found myself with brownies on the brain, and I know this is a crazy surprise, but that led me to Pinterest- I knew I had most ingredients that I would likely need, I just needed the instructions. Thankfully, I had already pinned a recipe that looked worth trying- check it out! Paleo Coconut Flour Brownies

{note: I actually created a new board on Pinterest where I share/move recipes that I've actually made into, rather than just the ones I think I want to make. Stole that idea from a colleague at work- love it! Check it out if you want by clicking here.}

Ok, now onto more good stuff. This weather makes me crave soup in a bad way. It's like negative degrees out there, and all I want to do is wrap myself with a bowl of soup. Any kind of soup, really. This one keeps calling my name, though. I may have to make it this week.

Paleo Zuppa Toscana 

Recipe adapted from The Paleo Cupboard

ingredients:

1 medium onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, chopped

2 Tbl olive oil

1 lb ground Italian sausage

1 tsp red pepper flakes

8 cups chicken or veggie stock {I swear by Nature's Promise organic vegetable stock}

4 turnips (appx 1 lb total), peeled and chopped

4 cups chopped kale

1 cup unsweetened almond milk*

S+P to taste

instructions:

1. Place a large stockpot or dutch oven over medium high heat. Heat the oil, and brown sausage for appx 5 minutes. Stir it around periodically so it doesn't burn and browns evenly. 
2. Once the meat is browned, add onion, garlic and red pepper flakes. Saute for another few minutes. 
3. Add the stock and turnips and stir to combine. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 10 minutes. 
4. Add the kale and almond milk and cook for another 5 minutes or until heated through. Make sure that the turnips are tender and the kale is cooked. 
5. Add S+P to taste and serve.

notes:

• *I made this a while ago- and have since started making dishes that include a more creamy sauce etc., and in many cases it calls for coconut milk. If/when {and that means when} I make this again, I will more than likely use coconut milk to make the soup slightly creamier
• Who knew turnips could actually be a substitute for a potato?? And a satisfying one at that! #imabeliever 

Paleo Swedish Meatballs {Ikea swap} + BONUS RECIPE

I might be the worst blogger in the history of bloggers. I have what {in my own head} I think is a "food blog" and I haven't posted a recipe since October. It is now February... count those months, that's November, December, January. Wow. I suck. I have literally had a list in the little notepad on my phone of recipes I have made and want to share. Since. October. I could blame it on my oh so busy life. I could blame it on the fact I work 50-60 hours/week. I could blame it on... Oh, forget it.  #imjustlazy

Either way, I do HAVE to share this recipe with you all. Hopefully, in your little corner of the earth you have access to an Ikea. I do, it's about a half hour away, and I just can't get enough. Not very many things make me happier than pulling up to that big blue and yellow building, walking in to a wave of cinnamon bun smelling goodness, and then getting school girl giddy as I walk the maze that is their showroom. I love how the carts are uncontrollable. I love how people are ALWAYS in the way {ok ok I actually hate that} and I..love..their..swedish meatballs. You know, when I can ignore the whole scandal surrounding the horses. 

Clearly they aren't good for you. Clearly, I try to eat Paleo as much as possible {note: that went out the window yesterday with the Superbowl. I went mostly-Paleo but definitely made a pizza for me and hubbs,, ok ok getting distracted} - So all that being said, I had to find a way. Andddddd *TA DAH* Pinterest to the rescue. Pinterest led me to Paleo Fondue. {which, let's face it- just the name of the blog gives me the warm and fuzzies} 

I followed the recipe for the most part. Here is my rendition, but if you don't trust me, here is the link to the original recipe. 

ingredients:

For the Meatballs

1 lb ground beef

1 lb ground pork

2 egg yolks

1 Tbl dried parsley

1 teaspoon each of of salt/pepper

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp all spice

1/4 medium yellow onion, finely minced

1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1½ Tbl butter

For the Gravy

1/4 medium yellow onion, finely minced

1 or 2 garlic cloves, finely minced

1-14 oz can full fat, unsweetened coconut milk

2 cups beef broth

2 Tbl Butter 

1 tsp pepper

3 Tbl potato flour*

Salt to taste

instructions:

1. Combine the beef, pork, egg yolks, parsley and spices in a bowl.
2. Heat a skillet to medium and add 1/2 of your butter to the pan. Add the minced onion and garlic to the pan, and cook until they start to become translucent, 2-3 minutes.
3. Add the cooked vegg to the meat bowl, and mix .
4. Form about 2 Tablespoons worth into a ball.
5. Heat a cast iron skillet to medium and add the rest of the butter.
6. Add about ten balls to the skillet and cook for about 8-10 minutes, continuously rotating each ball, until they are nice and browned.
7. Remove the balls and place in a strainer to drain. Repeat cooking the balls in a few more batches.
8. Once your balls are done, make a quick gravy: Add the onion and garlic to the skillet and cook again for about 2-3 minutes. 
9. Whisk in your coconut milk {make sure you SHAKE it to combine}, beef broth, butter, and pepper. Continue to cook for about 5 minutes, whisking periodically. 
10. Add the flour one tablespoon at a time and whisk until dissolved. Taste and add salt if desired. If you do it slowly, you shouldn't clump but if you find that clumps are starting, you can blend it in a blender. 
11. Remove from heat and put the meatballs into the pan with the gravy. 

notes:

• Flour*: The original recipe calls for tapioca flour, which is Paleo. I didn't have any, and my options were either potato flour {not paleo} or coconut flour. I went with potato, which makes my rendition NOT paleo, but I didn't think that coconut would work}
• I actually threw my oven onto 350 and put the balls in there to finish cooking as I worked through my batches. I never feel 100% confident that meatballs will cook on the stovetop, so I usually either bake them after, or simmer them in my sauce to finish the cooking process.
• To really do it up, Ikea style, serve these babies with mashed potatoes and lingonberry jam. I wanted to stay healthy, so I made cauliflower mash. {BONUS!} and I also couldn't find lingonberry jam, so I melted down and reduced organic cranberry sauce with some balsamic vinegar and honey. Weird, I know, but it actually tasted pretty good. 

* BONUS RECIPE *

Cauliflower Mash ~ Click Here

Cauliflower Mash

I think one of the biggest things I struggle with having gone #mostlyPaleo is potatoes. And cheese, but that's a whole nother issue. I have set out on a quest to find a way to substitute potatoes when I'm eating a comfort-food type meal and they are just necessary to have. So far, I have found a few viable options. One of which, is cauliflower. 

Yes- I will make you a believer. I made my friend Erin a believer, and I will make you one, too. 

Of course, I consulted Pinterest. Where else would I go, Google? Such old news. Anyway, I was brought to Whole Foods website. Making mashed cauliflower is literally SO easy. And it tastes SO good. I've now done it both smothered in gravy and by themselves. And I almost forgot I wasn't eating mashed potatoes. The consistency is a little different, so my only suggestion is to be careful how much liquid you add back in, but.. without further ado:

Check. It. Out... http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/mashed-cauliflower

Oh, and I added a little bit of butter into the food processing, too. 

Stuffed Apples: Pork and Sage

 ToSo, we know I'm (somewhat unsuccessfully) trying to stay paleo. It's a never ending battle. I will say though that if all recipes tasted like this, I would be 100% 

I got this recipe (wait for it....) from www.paleOMG.com - such a shocker right? I'm sorry but she just does such a good job.

I followed this recipe pretty much to the "T" but had to use these weird ground pork cutlet things that didn't break up well so I cooked then pulled out departed to chop up before combining the rest of the goodies. Other than that...same recipe. (Oh wait I don't do ghee so I used butter for veggies and didn't add anything on top) Tasted Delish. Pork was a little dry so something on top may have been beneficial. 

http://paleomg.com/stuffed-double-pork-sage-baked-apples/

Gots to say- this will be a make again kinda recipe especially before the apples are gone 

Banana Bread

So, today marks the last day of my sinfulness. Well, for a while anyway. I have had quite the last few weeks of binge-eating, which I define as eating whatever I damn well please. It has been glorious, I'm not going to lie and say I haven't enjoyed myself. But I feel like crap, and so that means it's time to get back to the clean. Before my time is done, however, I do want to share something: I baked. Yup, by choice and on my own, this girl right here baked. {oddly enough, my sister baked recently too- I don't know what's happening to us}

Someone somewhere told me that if bananas go brown, you make banana bread. I came across said brown bananas in my kitchen the other day and thought "I know I heard somewhere that you're supposed to do something with these buggers.... what was it?!" And then it hit me- BREAD! {ok ok people- I'm doing this for effect. Believe it or not, I do know that this is a commonly known fact. Come on- I'm not that big of an idiot}

So, because I don't bake and have no concept of how to do so, I set to Pinterest. Also through this process, I realized I may not have some of the key ingredients that one might need to make banana bread. Like, milk for example. I have coconut milk, I have almond milk, but not plain old cow's milk. Somehow, I thought to myself, that may not swap well. 

I found my way to a recipe from Simply Recipes, that did not involve milk. Had only a few simple ingredients {another that I didn't have, baking soda. BUT I did have baking powder. OMG, wait, they're different? Really?! Again- duh. I googled that and learned you can swap it 2-3x powder for 1 soda. Win!} 

ingredients:

2-3 very ripe bananas, peeled

1/3 cup melted butter

1/2 cup of sugar*

1 egg, beaten

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 tsp baking soda*

Pinch of salt

1-1/2 cups flour

instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F, and grease a loaf pan {I sprayed with cooking spray to avoid using more butter}
2. In a large bowl, mash the ripe bananas with a fork until smooth. 
3. Stir the melted butter into the bananas.
4. Mix in the baking soda and salt. Stir in the sugar, beaten egg, and vanilla extract. 
5. Mix in the flour.
6. Pour the batter into your prepared loaf pan. Bake for appx 1 hour or until a tester inserted into the center comes out clean. {test at 50 min- mine was ready just before 1 hour}
7. Remove from oven and cool completely on a rack. 
8. Remove the banana bread from the pan. Slice and serve. 

notes:

• In case you hadn't figured it out already... this recipe is NOT Paleo.
• A great thing about this recipe, especially for me, is that you don't need a mixer. Great for me, since I only have a weeny hand one and not a fancy stand mixer. I mixed everything in one bowl: mashed the bananas with a fork, and then mixed in with a wooden spoon. 
• The best bananas to use are overly ripe and mostly browned ones- they makes the bread much sweeter. Because of this, I found that you also can decrease the sugar in the recipe drastically, which I did. *The original recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, but I actually only used 1/2 cup and felt it was plenty sweet {and slightly less naughty!}
• Get ready for learning. *You can substitute baking soda/powder if you don't have any. If you are using baking powder in place of soda, you will need 2-3x the amount, and you should leave out any salt that is called for. Vice versa, you can use 1 part baking soda+ 2 parts cream of tartar to sub for baking powder. You'll need to make the "baking powder" mixture, then measure exactly what is called for in the recipe #schooled

{Direct Link}

Banana Bread

Apple Bison Burger Salad + BONUS RECIPE

So, as much as I love the fall, I'm not quite ready to get into chili mode. I mean, that will happen soon, but for now I'm on the hunt for things I can make inside that allow for me to hold on to a few more sweet 70 degree days. 

I found this recipe on paleOMG {of course} and changed it up ever so slightly to meet our table's needs, and the result was quite enjoyable. Feel free to compare to her original recipe- she also served them on gluten/grain free buns rather than as salad.

ingredients:

3 Tbl coconut oil {plus extra to coat pan for cooking}

1-2 yellow onions, thinly sliced 

1 pound ground bison 

1 egg

1 green apple, finely chopped

2 garlic cloves, minced

S+P

Arugula

instructions:

1. In a medium pan, heat coconut oil, and then add onion with a little salt. Make sure onions are coated in oil and cook for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally until onions are soft and brown.
2. While onions cook, combine beef with other ingredients: in a large bowl add beef, egg, apple, garlic cloves, salt and pepper, and mix well by hand to combine. Form 4-5 patties depending on how big you want them {wash your hands well before touching anything else!}
3. Heat a grill pan over medium heat. Add a bit of coconut oil to grease the pan, and cook patties on both sides for 5-6 minutes.
4. Serve over bed of arugula, with cooked onions on top. 

notes:

• I served over a bed of arugula but you can feel free to add any additional veggies or more apple to make it more like a salad. Hubby doesn't like arugula, so he actually had it over iceberg lettuce. He may have even wrapped.... lots of options here people!! 
• Another neat trick that I learned is that pressing a thumb into the middle of a patty will keep the burgers from puffing up... I have always seen people do this but never really understood why, nor did I take the time to ask. Now I know! 
• I used one onion and it only got us through the first 2 patties. If you're anything like us and enjoy onions, I recommend cooking up more than one onion. 
• I think this would be pretty tasty with bacon. Probably because everything is. 

* BONUS RECIPE *

Homemade Sweet Potato Fries ~ Click here

Sweet Potato Fries

I love sweet potatoes. I love that you can go either sweet or savory with them. I love that you can eat them as a meal. I love that you can eat them as part of a meal. I love that you can eat them as snacks like in the form of chips or french fries. I have a heck of a time getting said snacks crispy in the oven, though, and it drives me crazy. 

In her post linked below, Juli from paleOMG tells us how to make them crispy! The secret is in the sauce.. or.. oil. Either way, I tried it and they were the best ones I've ever made! 

Check it out!! http://paleomg.com/leftovers-bbq-chicken-burgers-crispy-sweet-potato-fries/

Shrimp and Sweet Corn Gazpacho

So, if something's easy, especially in the kitchen, I'm all for it. I happened upon this recipe for gazpacho in the circular we get from Stop & Shop. Really? The grocery store? Yes. I saw it and immediately felt the overwhelming desire to make this into my own recipe. Gazpacho is one of those things that just screams summer. Since the summer feels like it is so quickly coming to an end, I made it that night. I doubled the recipe so we could enjoy it all week, and for dinner that evening, I also added chopped shrimp. MMM. The amounts I am providing are for the double batch, just FYI.

Ingredients:

1 lb cocktail shrimp, chopped 

1 package frozen sweet corn, cooked and cooled {I use steam-in bag}

4 fresh tomatoes, finely diced

2 medium cucumbers, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1/2 yellow onion, finely diced

2 tsp minced garlic

1 regular bottle low sodium V8 juice

6 Tbl lemon juice

2 tsp dried basil

1/2 cup Hot sauce, or to taste

Salt + black pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients
2. Refrigerate for 4–6 hours to allow flavors to develop
3. Serve chilled with fresh basil for garnish if desired

Notes:

• Yes, that's all you do.
• Because I made so much of it, I actually spooned a separate portion of the soup into a smaller bowl and added the shrimp to that, as to not contaminate the rest of the soup that would last all week. 

Chicken Florentine Spaghetti Squash // Paleo

This, my friends, is one worth making. Mind you, you need to get a good sausage {the weird chicken sausage we got did not work, but the thought was there and I could taste how good it would be if I had the right sausage- that's how good it was!}  Also adorable, keeping your spaghetti squash skins, and serving this up right inside! Super cute, super easy. Me, I always quarter my squash to cook it in the microwave since I'm entirely too impatient to wait for it's 40 minute roast time//so I served this sucker up in my super adorable {and bright orange} Rachael Ray bubble and brown dishes. 

Let's get to it, shall we? I found this recipe on stupideasypaleo.com

it was a guest post from the awesome chick that writes popularpaleo.com

ingredients

1 medium spaghetti squash
1 package//4 links chicken sausage (organic, gluten-free; I would go hot)
1 organic onion, diced
2–3 cloves garlic, minced
3 cups//3 large handfuls organic baby spinach leaves, packed
2–3 TBL EVOO
S+P to taste
Optional: chopped flat-leaf parsley for garnish

instructions

1. First- cook the spaghetti squash. I will have to do a post specifically on how to do this, but here's my trick. Cut squash in half, and remove seeds and pulp with a spoon. Split squash into quarters, place in a glass Pyrex with some water, cover with plastic wrap and seal tightly. Nuke in microwave for 10-13 minutes depending on size of squash. {be VERY careful when removing from the microwave- there will be all sorts of steam trapped under that plastic- trust}
2. While the squash cooks, heat a large skillet to medium-high and drizzle in a few tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil. Once the oil is heated, crumble in the sausage, onion and garlic. Cook and stir until the sausage is just about cooked and the onion is translucent—this should take about 10 minutes or so. Add the spinach leaves on top of the mixture in the pan so that it wilts as the rest of the items cook. Stir it all together as the spinach cooks down. Turn off heat.
3. Once the squash is cooked and cooled slightly, hold each section with tongs to drain, and use a fork to scrape out the strands. Transfer into the pan with the sausage mixture, season with S+P, and toss the squash with the sausage and spinach so everything gets evenly combined. Top with parsley if you'd like. 

notes

• I think I also threw this under the broiler once it was all done. If you wanted to cheat a little, this would be delightful with a little parm sprinkled on top. Mm Mm.
• This was super easy and actually pretty quick to make. Again, if you roast your squash it takes wayyyy longer. Who has time for that after working all day?! But if you are anti-plastic-in-the-microwave as some are, you certainly can roast your squashes. 
• This reminds me slightly of the Spaghetti Pie recipe I posted here. Although, these flavors + that preparation, hmm... I might be on to something....

Baked breaded eggplant

So this recipe is one that I will be using in as many ways as I possibly can. A Paleo breading?! Say what! This was delightful on eggplant, and I look forward to breading everything in sight.

Found on www.paleoproject.com who adapted from Paleo Girls

ingredients:

2 medium eggplants
2 eggs, whisked
coconut oil, enough to oil pan for each batch of eggplant

For the Paleo breadcrumbs:
1 cup almonds
1 cup cashews
2 cloves garlic, pressed
2 tablespoons dried Thyme
2 teaspoons dried Oregano
2 teaspoons dried Rosemary
3 tablespoons dried Parsley Flakes
1/2 tablespoon Sea Salt

instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350
• Peel, slice into 1/4 inch rounds and rinse eggplant. Set aside.
• Prepare breadcrumbs. Place almonds in food processor, chop until very fine. Set aside. Place cashews in food processor, process until it resembles parmesan cheese, add to almonds.
• Press garlic. Add garlic, Thyme, Rosemary, Oregano, Parsley and Salt to almonds and cashews. Stir to combine.
• Set up breading station. Whisk two eggs, place beside breadcrumbs and eggplant rounds.
• Place eggplant on foil covered baking sheet (1 or 2 depending on how many rounds) and bake for approximately 20 minutes, or until the breading turns a golden brown color 

notes:

1. Serve with your choice of spaghetti sauce {I always default to Nature's Promise~ either tomato basil or fra diavlo. 
2. Breading can be used for a variety of other things... Can't wait!

Stuffed, Marinated Mushrooms {Paleo}

As always, I am LOVING Lexi's Clean Kitchen recipes. I make one of her recipes at least once a week as I'm learning the Paleo lifestyle. Last night, I made Stuffed Mushrooms ~ and these little guys were PACKED with flavor. I was pleasantly surprised, because I was a little skeptical on this one. It just didn't sound like it would taste like much. I was mistaken. Ohhh, was I mistaken. 

I think the trick to these is the marination. {Marination?! I'm making that a word, and I'm making it mean what I want it to mean} - I didn't even get those suckers in the fridge for very long, but it makes a world of difference, especially for these hefty mushroom caps. 

Stuffed Marinated Mushrooms {Paleo}

original recipe from www.lexiscleankitchen.com

ingredients:

1 package Portobello mushrooms {containing at least 4-6 mushrooms}

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbl EVOO

3 chicken sausage, casing removed and diced {I used organic, sun-dried tomato flavor}

1-2 cloves garlic, minced

1 yellow onion, finely diced

2 cups baby spinach leaves

1 cup grape tomatoes, halved

Sea salt & ground pepper to taste

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Separate the stems from the mushrooms and reserve for later
3. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbl EVOO and vinegar. Pour the mixture into a large ziplock bag and add the mushroom tops. Marinate in the fridge for up to 30 minutes
4. Once marinated, put the mushrooms on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 minutes
5. While cooking, chop mushroom stems, mince garlic, and chop onion. Heat remaining oil and add garlic, chopped mushroom stems and onion and let cook for 5 minutes, mixing often
6. Add in sausage, spinach, and tomatoes; let cook for an additional 5 minutes
7. After the mushrooms have cooked, remove them from the oven and gently pour off any liquid. Spoon in the filling into each mushroom cap
8. Serve and enjoy!

notes:

• We could only get a package of mushrooms that were kind of small. It worked ok, a small portion was 3 mushrooms. I would probably try to buy larger mushrooms next time.
• The sun dried tomato sausage was a delight. The original recipe calls for spicy sausage, which also would work well I think, but I think I will experiment with different flavors of chicken sausage. It's such a great ingredient!
• This could be used for mini mushrooms, too, to be served app-style. The sausage would just have to be broke up significantly more than it does with the larger mushroom caps
• The original recipe also called for basil. I might try that next time, just chopped and sprinkled on top. 
• For a non-paleo version, sprinkled with breadcrumbs and a little grated parm then broiled for a minute at the end would be yum! 

Deviled Avocados

Avocados.



These tasty little suckers are jam-packed full of goodness. They provide a ton of antioxidants and healthy, unsaturated fat to a balanced diet and actually help your body absorb vitamins and nutrients.. say what?! Fact. They are good for...

Bone + Skin Health
Manganese Bone health
Phosphorus Bone and teeth formation
Magnesium Bone health
Riboflavin, Niacin Skin Health

Cardiovascular {circulation + heart}
Copper, Magnesium Regulating your heart rate
Copper Maintaining normal blood pressure
Pantothenic Acid Formation of red blood cells

Immune System
Vitamins C, B6 Immune system function
Zinc Wound healing

Vitamin E Tissue repair

Muscle Growth + Development
Vitamin E Muscular development
Vitamin C Connective tissue function

Magnesium Muscle and nerve function

Digestion
Thiamin, Folate Metabolism
Riboflavin Protein, fat and carb processing

Panthothenic Acid Nutrient processing

WOW!!! It is NOT easy being green!
A few tips about these green goddesses that I thought I would share...

• The ripeness of an avocado can be determined by its color. The greener the avocado, the less ripe, the darker/black the avocado, the riper it is
• You can speed up ripening by placing in a brown paper bag. Slow it down by sticking it in the fridge.
• When opening an avocado, I find it easiest to cut around the circumference of the fruit {I do it the long way, especially for this recipe} twist open, and then pop your knife into the pit, turn, and pull out. No need to dig the pit out with a spoon! 
• To save a cut avocado, keep the pit in, sprinkle with lime juice, and cover with aluminum or plastic wrap. 

and now... onto the recipe!

Deviled Avocados

{original recipe spotted on Pinterest 

from jamaicanitpaleo.com}

ingredients:

1 can tuna 

1 avocado {ripe}

½ tsp minced garlic

1 scallion, chopped

¼ red onion, minced

Juice of ½ lime

Sea salt and pepper to taste

instructions:

1. Cut the avocado in half and empty the contents in a mixing bowl {save the skin!}
2. Combine the tuna and the remaining ingredients with the avocado.
3. Mix and mash until thoroughly combined.
4. For presentation, put the mixture back into the skins and serve!

notes:

• This is absolutely adorable if served in the skins.
• This is absolutely delicious, even if eaten directly off a plate.
• Info and nutritional facts obtained from www.theamazingavocado.com 

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pie

Hi, my name is Coleen and I'm a food-aholic. 

I'm pretty sure that's how this whole thing started... and what keeps it going. 

Easter, my friends, is quickly becoming a favorite holiday for me. Primarily because I get to cook. {when my mother reads this, I will promptly get a text indicating that the day that I decide to "take over" any additional holidays, she will be more than happy to oblige}

This year {as you may have already found out from my quick and easy post where I did NOT share recipes... hehehe sorrieee} we made Pistachio Crusted rack of lamb, roasted potatoes, and a beautiful Spring salad. The lamb was insanely good. I will have to get that recipe from my sister to share... but in my mind, the pièce de résistance was by far dessert. Our end game was the delectably sweet, and just a touch of savory and wittily re-named, individual Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies. Bon Appétit~

Carrot Cake Whoopie Pies

{original recipe from Cooking Light}

ingredients:

2 cups shredded carrot {we chopped it up a bit}

2/3 cup packed brown sugar, divided

1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided

2 Tbl canola oil

1 tsp orange zest {eyeball it}

3/4 tsp vanilla extract, divided

1 large egg

1 cup flour

1 tsp cinnamon

3/8 tsp salt, divided

1/4 tsp baking soda

4 oz cream cheese, softened 

1 cup powdered sugar

instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°. Cover 2 baking sheets with parchment paper; set aside.
2. Combine carrot and 3 Tbl brown sugar in a bowl; toss to coat. Place mixture in a fine mesh sieve; let stand to drain over the bowl for at least 10 minutes, stirring every once in a while. Discard liquid.
3. Place 2 tablespoons butter in a medium microwave-safe bowl. Microwave in short increments until melted. Add oil, orange, 1/2 tsp vanilla, and egg; whisk until well combined.
4. Combine flour, remaining brown sugar (about 1/2 cup), cinnamon, 1/4 tsp salt, and baking soda in a large bowl; stir well with a whisk. Add both carrot mixture and butter mixture; stir until just combined. 
5. Drop dough by tablespoonfuls 2 inches apart onto prepared baking sheets and gently pat dough down to form 2-inch circles. Target 14 cookies in total. 
6. Bake at 350° for 11-13 minutes or until set. Remove pans from oven; let stand 3 minutes. Let cool completely.
7. While cookies are baking, make the frosting: combine cream cheese, remaining 2 Tbl butter, remaining 1/4 tsp vanilla extract, and remaining 1/8 tsp salt in a medium bowl; beat with a mixer at medium speed 3 minutes, until fluffy. Add powdered sugar; beat at low speed 1 minute or until well combined (don't overbeat!). Spread frosting on flat side of 1 cookie; top with another cookie, flat side down. 
8. Repeat the procedure with remaining cookies and filling.

notes:

• Make sure your parchment paper is cut to fit your baking sheet.
• The original recipe says this makes 28 total cookies, but we made our cookies a little larger and our batter created 14 total {which was perfect- it made 7 little whoopies for our dinner party of 6}
• I couldn't believe how delicious this super easy cream cheese frosting was!

Crockpot Jerk Chicken

So, I totally brought Jerk Seasoning home from the island. Obviously, I did. My friend bought his at one of the little shops when we ventured off our resort, but I bought mine in the gift shop at the hotel. Either way, though, it's Jamaican Jerk seasoning. And I was so excited to use it. 

I had tt get me a package of organic, grass fed, deconstructed chicken pieces {ie the glorious package that has all the pieces of a whole chicken in it, but without the inconvenience of it coming in the form of a whole chicken carcass} - and I decided I was going to crock pot that sucker with some jerk. And crock pot with some jerk I did. 

I have a small crock pot, so the chicken pieces got layered. In between these layers of raw poultry, I layered jerk along with it. Liberally. {so liberally, that my mouth is still on fire} -- I threw a little vegetable stock in the bottom, which is my go-to for everything, and set on low and slow for 8 hours. 

Fall off the bone.

Bursting with flavor.

Shut the front door. 

Honestly, the flavor is not unlike the chicken obtained from the chicken guy that was serving jerk chicken off of a cart at lunchtime each day. 

I just burned myself because I stuck my fingers right into the crock pot to pull some of this goodness out.

If you aren't lucky like me and have a whole baggie of this delectable combination of spices, fear not, because you can make it yourself!

Crockpot Jerk Chicken

ingredients

Recipes for the seasoning vary, but my real Jamaican spice is made of:

Salt

Crushed chillis

Cane sugar

Pimento
Black pepper

Granulated garlic

Coriander

Thyme

Garlic extract

Cinnamon

{others included allspice, turmeric, brown sugar, red pepper flakes and other ingredients}

other ingredients

Meat {chicken, pork}

Vegetable stock

instructions

1. Apply liberally to meat {chicken, pork are ideal}
2. Place in crock pot, cook on low for 8ish hours depending on the size of meat

notes

• 4 hours on high will probably work too, but low and slow makes for the fall off the bone tenderness!
• This is seriously delish.

Paleo Pizza Spaghetti Pie

Yet again it's a recipe experiment week!! While the week is coming to a close, I tried a few good ones. Shrimp fraDiavlo was one that was pretty tasty.. I don't usually make my own sauce and this one was a quick and simple take on a spicy classic. I'll get that recipe up later but for now I'm focused on what's in the oven.

If you know me, you know my weird obsession with the Spaghetti Pie my mother makes. It's so good. And it's actually the first thing I ever made for tt for dinner back in our early days of courtship. The frozen salty meatballs, the loads of ooey-gooey cheese, and let's not forget the spaghetti. Oh, and the butter. 

If I could make this in a swimming pool and climb right on in, I would. No seriously, I would do that. And probably then either eat my way out, or drown right there in the cheese. 

As even a non-Paleo-er can imagine, the items listed above probably weren't around in the time of the cavemen. Frozen meatballs? Um no. Delightfully convenient, probably too convenient for the Flinstones. Lame. BUT- fear not!! For I have found a solution. Paleo Pizza Spaghetti Pie!! I can't promise how it tastes, but I can definitely attest to how it smells. And it smells like pizza. And yummy. 

{Paleo} Pizza Spaghetti Pie 

Recipe by paleOMG.com

ingredients

1 large spaghetti squash 

1 lb sausage {I used organic, grass fed, spicy Italian pork sausage, casing removed}

1 small or half of a large yellow onion, diced 

Dry or fresh basil to taste

1 cup pizza sauce {no sugar added}

3 eggs, beaten

instructions 

1. Preheat oven to 400
2. Cook spaghetti squash {can bake, or I like to remember that I'm not actually a cave woman and cook mine in the microwave- quarter, scoop seeds, throw in a Pyrex with about a half inch of water and cover with Saran Wrap. Nuke for 11-12 mins} 
3. Meanwhile, cook your onion and sausage until there is no pink left in the meat; as it cooks, work to break it apart into small pieces
4. When cooked, add pizza sauce and basil and mix well
5. When squash is cooked, remove the strands and put into a 8x8 baking dish that has been greased. Add sausage and sauce mixture and mix well
6. Add eggs and mix until you can no longer see the egg
7. Bake at 400 for an hour, you will notice that the top forms a slight crust
8. Let rest for 5 minutes before serving 

notes

• You can also add any other "pizza toppings" such as other veggies or cheese if you are so inclined. 
• I can't wait to eat it. My whole house smells like I'm going to eat something naughty. 

Happy Friday!